Science for Human Rights
Ahmed al-Masri
Reported place of arrest: Qusayr, Homs governorate
Reported date of arrest: 18 May
Reported date of delivery of body: 25 May
Observations on corpse: Pathologist video observation: Blunt force lesion under left eye. Possible burns on abdomen and legs. There seem to be haemorrhages on heels/feet. No external signs giving indication of cause of death.
Details: Ahmed al-Masri, an unemployed man of about 28 years of age from Qusayr, south of the city of Homs, disappeared one day in the third week of May. A neighbour told Amnesty International that he could not remember which day it was that Ahmed al-Masri disappeared but knew that he had participated in many of the protests in Qusayr and had been carrying a banner that day, and so may have been on his way to or from a demonstration. A few days later, a released detainee and an informal contact in the security forces told the family that Ahmed al-Masri was being held at a detention centre run by Military Intelligence. His father went to the Military Intelligence centre and tried to hand over some medicine for his son, who had a medical condition relating to his brain, but a senior officer told him there was “no need”. A few days later again, the family received the news that Ahmed al-Masri had died and a family member went to the National Hospital in Homs to identify the body. An official document stated that the cause of death was “severe respiratory distress”. A video clip of the body indicates, according to a forensic pathologist consulted by Amnesty International, “possible burns to the abdomen and legs” and “blunt force lesion under left eye”. Read the full report
Location on map is approximate.
Ahmed al-Masri
Reported place of arrest: Qusayr, Homs governorate
Reported date of arrest: 18 May
Reported date of delivery of body: 25 May
Observations on corpse: Pathologist video observation: Blunt force lesion under left eye. Possible burns on abdomen and legs. There seem to be haemorrhages on heels/feet. No external signs giving indication of cause of death.
Details: Ahmed al-Masri, an unemployed man of about 28 years of age from Qusayr, south of the city of Homs, disappeared one day in the third week of May. A neighbour told Amnesty International that he could not remember which day it was that Ahmed al-Masri disappeared but knew that he had participated in many of the protests in Qusayr and had been carrying a banner that day, and so may have been on his way to or from a demonstration. A few days later, a released detainee and an informal contact in the security forces told the family that Ahmed al-Masri was being held at a detention centre run by Military Intelligence. His father went to the Military Intelligence centre and tried to hand over some medicine for his son, who had a medical condition relating to his brain, but a senior officer told him there was “no need”. A few days later again, the family received the news that Ahmed al-Masri had died and a family member went to the National Hospital in Homs to identify the body. An official document stated that the cause of death was “severe respiratory distress”. A video clip of the body indicates, according to a forensic pathologist consulted by Amnesty International, “possible burns to the abdomen and legs” and “blunt force lesion under left eye”. Read the full report
Location on map is approximate.